


Inadequate

by RebeccaAnabelBurrows



Series: Of Dark Knights and Green Lanterns [6]
Category: DCU, Justice League - All Media Types
Genre: Comforting Bruce, Conversations in bed, Developing Relationship, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Meet the Family, Nightmares, Self-Doubt, Tired Hal, angst first though
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-20
Updated: 2020-04-20
Packaged: 2021-03-01 16:54:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,712
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23760382
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RebeccaAnabelBurrows/pseuds/RebeccaAnabelBurrows
Summary: Meeting the family oneshot. (Well not really because I love twisting themes but it's self explanatory)-Hal had many apprehensions about his boyfriend's family, but meeting his parents had never been one of them.That could easily be explained by this simple fact : Bruce's parents were dead, had been for decades.
Relationships: Hal Jordan/Bruce Wayne
Series: Of Dark Knights and Green Lanterns [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1645951
Comments: 2
Kudos: 102





	Inadequate

**Author's Note:**

> The last one in this series. Hooray ! I am able to finish things !

Hal had many apprehensions about his boyfriend's family, but meeting his parents had never been one of them.  
That could easily be explained by this simple fact : Bruce's parents were dead, had been for decades.

Hal had seen their graves, had held Bruce through his lingering nightmares about the night his parents died.

So he was pretty certain he wouldn't have to meet up their expectations for their son's life partner.

However, here he was, facing Thomas and Martha Wayne and feeling very much inadequate.  
When he had gone to bed, he hadn’t thought he would be made aware that the family portrait in Bruce's office was shockingly accurate. 

Also, only wearing a sheet to face your boyfriend’s dead parents wasn’t an experience Hal recommended. He would have felt underdressed if the Waynes had been wearing loose shorts and old t-shirts but them wearing very formal attire brought the embarrassment to a whole new level. 

"Uh - Hello ?" he said, looking for clothes frantically.

There was nothing there that would do. The place they were in was completely empty, except for them.  
What about the ring ? He looked at his hand but he wasn’t wearing it. Well, maybe it was for the best. The Waynes weren’t supposed to know about this. 

Bruce's mother smiled at him. Her son had mostly taken after her. Same sharp eyes, same cheekbones. However, her light touch on his shoulder made Hal’s skin crawl in a way Bruce's touch never had. Maybe because he couldn’t stop thinking of her as a dead person, or was it the fact that he was half-naked and she was his long term boyfriend’s mother ? 

Her touch felt cold, somehow. He did his best not to squirm, to make as good an impression as he could. He was good with old people. Except that they didn’t look old. His father barely looked a few years older than Bruce and his mother was probably about Hal’s age. 

“So, Hal Jordan. Pilot, Green Lantern -” she enumerated in an absent voice, not completing her sentence.

Her husband, who had barely looked at Hal, did it for her.

“- but still a major fuck-up.” he concluded.

Hal only had a few seconds to feel the shock of his words. 

Martha Wayne was examining him, touching his arms and his face, inclining it - searching for who knew what. He felt very much like a beast at some fair. It was humiliating. He felt himself blushing, self-consciousness written all over his tense shoulders and lowered eyes.

Hal didn’t know much about Bruce’s parents, but whatever their faults he doubted any of them would have acted that way even if they had hated him at first sight. They didn’t seem like the type to swear or to forget their manners. 

He held Martha’s wrists when she started touching his torso. 

“Mrs Wayne, can you -” 

She didn’t seem very bothered by his actions but her voice was full of disdain when she talked to him, freeing her wrists from Hal's loose grip.

“Our son picked you ? I can’t see why.” 

Hal bit his lip. It was something he could relate to. 

“You’d make a dreadful parent.”

Another thing Hal was scared of. 

Hal refrained himself to reply back that the Waynes probably were dreadful parents. Bruce seldom mentioned them when he talked about his early childhood, mainly spent around Alfred it would seem.

Martha and Thomas Wayne kept criticising and insulting him. Hal had decided to bore it unflinchingly but it lasted and lasted and lasted. It was too much. There were only so many of your insecurities you could have thrown at your face without letting them in. Where was Bruce ? He needed Bruce. They -  
He felt his shoulder being shaken, a large hand strocking his hair. 

“Hal, wake up.” 

The Green Lantern opened his eyes with some difficulty. He was wrapped in his boyfriend’s arms. He tried to smile without much success. Bruce hugged him tighter. 

“You scared me. It looked like you were having a bad dream and I couldn’t wake you.” he said.

Hal sighed, leaning into Bruce’s arms. 

“Must be that stupid alien wizard. He said something about giving me a goodnight gift when I arrested him earlier.” he said, looking at the ceiling. 

“Hal, are you alright ?” Bruce asked pointedly. 

His partner shrugged. 

“Yeah. I guess ? I’ve just met your parents.” he said, his head held low.

Bruce closed his eyes but kept running his fingers through Hal’s hair. 

“How bad was it ?” he asked quietly.

Hal had looked pretty uneasy, and that was after he had failed to tear him away from what seemed to be a very unpleasant dream. Hal had whimpered in his sleep, and only calmed a bit when Bruce had wrapped him into his arms.

“It could have been worse.” Hal said, still looking at the ceiling.

Bruce touched his face lightly, coaxing him into meeting his gaze.

“Hal.”

Hal could almost hear his plea to not lie to him.

“They were on the verge of accusing me of stealing the silverware I think. I mean of course I wasn’t going to do that, but you have to admit - I am not really adequate.” Hal said.

Bruce straightened up at those words and Hal disentangled his body from his.

“What the hell are you talking about ?” Bruce said, and his voice was quite bland but Hal could perceive the anger underneath. 

“You know. You’re you, and I am just me.”

Bruce took one of his hands in his and squeezed. It took Hal a few seconds before squeezing back. 

“Hal. People would love to share five minutes of their lives with “just you”. You’re a goddamn pilot. A better one than even I will ever be, as you love to remind me. Preferably in front of our teammates.” Bruce stopped Hal from interrupting “Don’t apologize, I don’t really mind. You’re paid for it, and you love that job.” Bruce said. “Am I wrong ?”

Hal shook his head negatively and kept from saying that Bruce only asked because he loved being right. He could tell that Bruce was making efforts to be more open with him about his feelings recently, and sometimes he failed miserably but Hal appreciated that he tried. His lack of verbal answer prompted Bruce to speak some more. 

“You’re a Lantern, and you’re good at it. You save people - humans, aliens, mixes of both- everytime. You’re fair and understanding. You’re not part of the League only for your good looks, you know that.” 

This made Hal smile.

“You know how good that ass looks in my suit.” he said, lowering the sheets to show off his figure.

Bruce indulged him, leering at him for a few seconds, and kissed his temple tenderly. However he didn’t forget about their ongoing discussion, very conscious of Hal’s attempt at diverting his attention from it and stopped Hal's hand on his torso. Hal sighed but waited for Bruce's words. 

“I do. Hal, you’re really good looking but you’re also a genuine person, a considerate and generous lover and a great and compassionate friend.” he said.

Hal’s cheeks were going an interesting red the longer Bruce talked. Bruce had been trying to be more complimentary and affectionate with him these last weeks but he rarely said that much. 

“You’re biased.” he said.

Bruce laughed and kissed his nose. Hal’s blush spreaded to his torso. 

“Because you’re my friend and my boyfriend ? I am glad you are. And I don’t want to scare you away, but I am certain you’ll make a great parental figure for the kids if you ever want to. You’re a real catch, Hal.” he said, forcing himself to give Hal the possibility to read his emotions on his face - the admiration, the love, the concern… everything.

However, Hal barely allowed himself to look at him. He had lowered his head, looking at the sheets pooling around their bodies.

“A real catch and a fuck-up.” he said. 

Bruce wouldn’t have heard him if he wasn’t paying attention. He kissed Hal softly.

“Is this about your last mission ? Hal, we all fuck up at times. Jason can list all the times I did for you if you want, he’d love that. I failed every one of my kids and every member of the JL, including you, at some point. If anyone feels inadequate in this relationship, it shouldn’t be you.” Bruce said.

He rarely shared that much, and Hal knew it was all for his benefit. He felt warmth in his belly. 

“I love you.” he said earnestly, looking straight at his partner. 

He had said it before, but never with such certainty, never had he felt it so intensely. Bruce smiled. It was a wonderful thing, Bruce smiling. It didn’t happen much outside this room, and Hal was always starved for it. 

“That’s a good thing, because I love you too. No matter what my parents said. They weren’t even the real ones, Hal. Anyway, I am my own man and you’re the choice I’ve made, and that I am making, and that I will keep making if you let me, regardless of anyone’s opinion.” Bruce said.

Hal blinked. Twice in three seconds. Bruce wasn't going to make him cry. 

"Same but I can't find my words right now and all I am thinking of is how amazing you are." he said instead.

Bruce kissed him lightly.

"Your pillow talk greatly improved in a five minutes span."

Hal grabbed his partner to kiss him more deeply.

"And I thought you could manage the touchy-feely act for at least one more hour." he said against Bruce's lips.

Bruce glared at him, before admitting "I am not sure about the feely thing."

"I think we've done enough of that for today. However, you didn't voice any complaints about the touchy part."

The look that Bruce sent him was more than a little heated. 

"If you're game, I am." he said - well, almost growled. 

"Appealing to my sense of competition is a low blow." Hal noted, but he was laughing and running his hands through his boyfriend's hair.

Bruce only smirked before kissing his jaw, intent on chasing his bad dream away from Hal's mind and proving him they were meant to be.

**Author's Note:**

> I've posted this sooner than I should have (meaning, before I was pleased with it because I wanted to get rid of it) which means I might arrange it a little bit later.  
> It was a pleasure to share this with you, and even if this series is now finished, I'll keep writing Batlantern fics, so maybe we'll interact again.  
> Each kudo, comment and even view is appreciated !


End file.
